After Buford matched Archer’s touchdown in overtime, there was never any doubt that Wolves coach Bryant Appling was going to go for a two-point conversion and the win. All quarterback Jarvis Evans Jr. and tight end Treyton Rank had to do was execute.
With the game on the line, Evans lobbed the ball over the outstretched arms of a leaping Archer defender and Rank went up a bit higher to snag his only catch of the night.
It was enough to allow Class AAAAA No. 5 Buford to outlast Class AAAAAAA No. 10 Archer 29-28 at Buford’s Tom Riden Stadium.
“We’ve been working on that play and knew it would work,” Rank said. “I just had to catch it. I was nervous until I got to the line and then I was ready to go.”
Archer tied the game with 10 seconds left in regulation to complete a 17-play, 86-yard drive. Quarterback Carter Peevy dove in from the 1 and Jacob Waters kicked the extra point to tie the game at 21-21 and force overtime.
Archer had the first possession in overtime and scored in three plays, with Jordon Swain running it in from the 4. Swain carried 16 times for 59 yards to lead the Tigers.
It wasn’t as simple for Buford to score. The Wolves needed to convert a fourth-and-1, which Mason McRanie did, and faced another fourth-and-goal at the 1. This time Elijah Turner found a hole on the left side and scored.
But rather than kick the extra point and play another round, Appling called a timeout and chose to go for two.
“I’m thinking we were tired, we were gassed,” Appling said. “I didn’t want to play any longer. It was time to end it and be done for the night.”
The Wolves dialed up the special two-point conversion play that the team practices every day before going home. It worked just like they draw it up on the board.
“It’s been something we’ve been doing every since January, since Coach App got here,” Evans said. “It was in the back of the playbook to use. You never know when that time is going to come. The time came and they weren’t expecting it.”
Evans said he was surprised the Wolves didn’t kick the extra point and go to a second overtime.
“We trust Coach App and it worked out best,” Evans said.
Buford improved to 5-0. Archer dropped to 3-2.
Archer quarterback Carter Peevy completed 17 of 28 passes for 129 yards and ran seven times for 40 yards. Trey Messer had eight receptions for 68 yards.
Buford’s running back combination of Elijah Turner and Gabe Ervin Jr. acquitted themselves nicely. Ervin ran 16 times for 123 yards and Turner had 19 carries for 59 yards.
Archer scored on its first possession, a 15-play drive that covered 77 yards and ended when Schamari Campbell ran it in from the 1.
The Tigers quickly made it 14-0 after forcing Buford to go three-and out. On the third play from scrimmage, Jordon Swain popped through a hole in the line and streaked for a 64-yard touchdown. The extra point from Jacob Waters gave Archer a two-score lead with 11:48 left in the half.
That was enough to engage the Buford offense, which had amassed 19 yards in its two previous drives. Not this time. Buford gashed the Archer defense for three long runs – a 33-yard by Gabe Ervin Jr. advanced the Wolves to the 5 and he carried it in on the next play to cut the lead to 14-7.
Archer fumbled on its next possession and Malik Cunningham recovered for the Wolves at the 43. But when Buford couldn’t move it, the Wolves used punter Hayden Olsen to pin Archer at the 2. The Tigers got nothing going and barely avoided a sack – Brandon Castro grabbed Renoldo Spivey Jr. for a 5-yard loss – and was forced to punt.
Buford’s T. Lee had running start on the punt and returned it all the way for a 38-yard touchdown, tying the score 14-14 with 6:01 remaining.
Buford took a 21-14 lead after Archer botched a tricky exchange on the second-half kickoff that left the ball on the ground. Buford’s Carson Garrison recovered and ran it in from the 3.
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